


The Fellowship of the Sword

by LadyIantoJones



Series: Lord of the Swords [1]
Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-08-31
Updated: 2010-08-31
Packaged: 2017-10-11 09:00:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/110670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIantoJones/pseuds/LadyIantoJones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dark Lord Mordred has returned to plunder Middle-Earth. To do that, he needs his Sword, his weapon that'll cement his control. Slight problem-the hobbit Lancelot Baggins is now owner of the Sword...and more likely to toss said Sword down the deepest, darkest hole he knows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fellowship of the Sword

Title: The Fellowship of the Sword 1/10  
Author: Lady Ianto Jones  
Fandom: Merlin/Lord of the Rings fusion  
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, Morgana/Gwen, Gaius/Uther, others.  
Rating: Ranges from PG-13 to NC-18  
Warnings: AU, Fusion, humor, angst, violence, cursing, m/m sex, OOCness, f/f sex, implied deaths of main characters  
Archive: My livejournal, Archive of our Own, Merlin Fanfiction Archive, my wordpress blog  
Notes: No idea where this came from. Enjoy anyway! All quotes are from Book One of The Lord Of The Rings. I own nothing. It all belongs to BBC, Shine, The Tolkien Foundation, etc, etc, etc. This is just a very cracked-out fic, so don't take it seriously XP

Is also a mix of book-verse and movie-verse. After all, there was no Tom Bombadill in the movie.

Summary: The Dark Lord Mordred has returned to plunder Middle-Earth. To do that, he needs his Sword, his weapon that'll cement his control. Slight problem-the hobbit Lancelot Baggins is now owner of the Sword...and more likely to toss said Sword down the deepest, darkest hole he knows.

Cast List for Book One:

Frodo Baggins will be played by Lancelot du Lac  
Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee will be played by Gawain  
Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck will be played by Sir Kay  
Peregrin 'Pippin' Took will be played by Owain  
Aragorn, Son of Arathorn will be played by Arthur Pendragon  
Legolas of Mirkwood will be played by Morgana le Fay  
Gandalf, the Grey/White Wizard will be played by Merlin Emrys  
Boromir of Gondor will be played by Will of Ealdor  
Gimli, son of Gloin will be played by Gwenhwyfar  
Saruman the Wise will be played by Gaius  
Elrond Half-Elven of Rivendell will be played by Uther Pendragon  
Bilbo Baggins will be played by the Slash Dragon, a.k.a Kilgharrah  
The Dark Lord Sauron will be played by Mordred  
Arwen Evenstar will be played by Sophia  
Galadriel, Lady of Light will be played by Hunith of Ealdor  
Celeborn of Lothlorien will be played by the Dragonlord Balinor  
The Creature Gollum will be played by Nimueh  
Otho and Lobelia Baggins will be played by Bayard of Mercia and the troll Catrina  
Gloin, Father of Gimli will be played by Tom, Gwenhwyfar's father  
Balrog will be played by Aredian  
King Thranduil will be played by the druid Aglain  
Tom Bombadil and Goldberry will be played by Tristan du Bois and Morgause  
Isildur will be played by Knight Valiant  
Denethor II, Steward of Gondor will be played by Tauren  
Faramir of Gondor will be played by Sir Pellinore  
Rosie of the Shire will be played by Lady Helen

 

Enjoy!

***  
_**  
Three Swords for the Elven-kings under the sky.  
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone  
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die.  
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne  
In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.  
One Sword to rule them all, One Sword to find them,  
One Sword to bring them all and in the darkness bind them  
In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.**_

***

_**Act One: In Which The Heroes Are Introduced:**_

  
Kilgharrah Baggins of number 13 Bagshot Row eyed the chaos that covered what used to be his napping field and rolled his eyes. Why did anyone want to celebrate his 111th birthday? So what if he was the oldest Hobbit-Dragon in existence? It wasn't like anyone cared. His adopted nephew, the Hobbit Lancelot du Lac Baggins, cared more for frolicking in the grass with the gardener Gawain Gamgee, than he did about his upcoming birthday.

Huffing in annoyance and blowing a cloud of white smoke across the yard, Kilgharrah turned around and lumbered into his house, his tail knocking over the umbrella stand and the flowerpot as usual. Growling low, Kilgharrah lumbered into his main room and curled up, watching the fireplace. Beside it, in it's normal spot, was the Sword he had liberated from that wretched creature Nimueh.

Reaching out with his clawed talons, Kilgharrah pulled the Sword against him and continued watching the fireplace. It wouldn't be too long before this idiotic, puerile party was over and he could disappear for goood. He just hated that he'd have to leave without explaining anything to Lancelot. As foolish as the Hobbit could be at times, the boy was loyal and tried his best.

***

_Hobbits are curious creatures, loving nothing more than good tilled earth and a stout, hardy ale...along with a good roll of pipe-weed. Hobbit-Dragons though, preferred gold with their ale and everyone knew the legends of the wealth of good that Kilgharrah Baggins had hidden in his hobbit-dragon hole on Bagshot Row._

No one was stupid enough to ask him about it though. Bayard and his wife Catrina still hadn't recovered their hair from the last time they had annoyed the hobbit-dragon. Although...Bayard had at least fluff covering his scalp now. Catrina was still a bald wreck and refused to come out of her house.

All in all, hobbits and hobbit-dragons lived peacefully, unknowing of the danger that was creeping up on them.

**One Sword to rule them all, One Sword to find them;  
One Sword to bring them all and in the darkness bind them  
In the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.**

And the Shadow was returning. That much was abundantly clear.

***

  
The wooden cart rolled amicably up the dirt road, the young man in the driver's bench singing quietly to himself as he headed pass annoyed looking hobbit men and women. Smiling at them, the man ignored the looks as he continued toward Bagshot Row. He was running very late but knew Kilgharrah would forgive him. Kilgharrah always did...mostly. He still held a grudge for that incident involving vanilla pudding, popcorn, and red wine. No matter that it _hadn't_ been his fault.

"You are late."

The man pulled the reins on his horse and stopped the cart before he looked toward his right and saw the dark haired, olive skinned hobbit standing there, arms crossed at his chest and a book held tightly in his left hand. Behind him, another young hobbit stood, half hidden behind the first.

"A wizard is never late Lancelot Baggins," The man said calmly as he met the first hobbit's eyes. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means too." He then cocked a head to one side. "Of course, it works a lot better when Kilgharrah isn't having fits."

Lancelot burst out laughing before he leapt into the cart and hugged the man. "By the Light, I have missed you Merlin!"

"And I you," said Merlin as he hugged Lancelot back. "Your friend?"

"Gawain," said Lancelot as he held his hand out and pulled the other hobbit into the cart. "Gawain, I want you meet Merlin Emrys. He's Uncle Kilgharrah's friend. Merlin, my best friend Gawain."

"Friend huh?" asked Merlin as he took in the closeness of the two hobbits before shrugging. It wasn't any of his business. It wasn't like he couldn't be accused of the same. One day though, he'd make Arthur admit they were more than just 'friends'. "So how is Kilgharrah?"

"Same," said Lancelot as the cart began moving, Merlin's horse Bill trotting along sedately. "Annoyed at the fact that he can't eat all the other hobbits when they annoy him; annoyed because Bayard keeps coming around to demand penance from him due to Catrina's baldness."

"Catrina's _what_?" Merlin asked with a startled laugh as they went over a bridge.

"Uncle Kilgharrah didn't tell you?" Lancelot asked with fake-innocence. "Bayard and Catrina came around three months ago asking him all these questions about the wealth he supposedly has hidden. He burnt their hair off in retaliation. Bayard has peach fuzz for hair and Catrina refuses to leave her hobbit hole."

Merlin shook his head, bemused. "Somehow I am not surprised by this."

"Yeah, I didn't think you would be," Lancelot grinned before looking back behind them, where six hobbit children were running after them shrieking Merlin's name with glee. "Are you going to disappoint them?"

"Maybe," Merlin said with a grin as he pulled around a bend, hearing the hobbit children stop and releasing sad sounds. Six fireworks then exploded, lighting up the bright blue sky with sparks of red, green, violet, and orange. The hobbit children shrieked and laughed their glee, while Merlin, Lancelot, and Gawain started snickering.

"We'll see you later Merlin," Lancelot said as he stood and hopped out of the car, Gawain following quickly. "Don't annoy Uncle Kilgharrah too much."

"Is there such a thing?" Merlin drawled with a laugh before continuing on, Bill clomping sedately alone the path.  He could just barely hear Lancelot's laughter as the two hobbits made their way back toward town, probably for a glass of ale.

Reaching Bagshot Row about ten minutes later, Merlin pulled Bill up and got out of the cart. In the field next to Kilgharrah's house, Merlin could see what appeared to be half of the entire hobbit community of the Shire putting up tents, building fireplaces, organizing an open-air kitchen, etc, etc, etc. Shrugging to himself, Merlin unlatched Bill from the cart and motioned him to the field across the dirt road. Six horses lingered in the field, all of them belonging to Lancelot and his friends. Bill neighed softly, smelling Kilgharrah's scent everywhere, before he trotted over to the field and joined the other horses.

Shaking his head at the protectiveness of his horse, Merlin grabbed his apple wood staff and heading past the gate and it's sign:

_ **No Admittance except on Party Business  
** _

  
knocked on the round green oak door.

"No thank you!" Kilgharrah snarled through the door and Merlin raised an eyebrow. "We don't want any more visitors, well wishers, or distant relations!"

"What about old friends?" Merlin drawled, amused despite himself. He could always count on Kilgharrah to cheer him up.

The round door opened and the hobbit-dragon stood there on all fours, clad in a red waist-coast and black boots. His tail curled up around his feet. "Merlin?"

"Kilgharrah Baggins," Merlin said amused.

"Merlin! My old friend!" Kilgharrah cried out before he whirled around and swept Merlin's feet out from under him.

"Ow!" Merlin yelped as he hit the dirt, his magic automatically cushioning the fall. "What was that for?!"  
_  
"Vanilla. Pudding._" Kilgharrah said ominously as Merlin stood back up and dusted himself off.

"For the last time, that wasn't my fault," Merlin protested. "We warned you against trying to drink Tom under the table!" He ducked low as he entered the hobbit-dragon hole and shut the door behind him. Kilgharrah snorted white smoke out that wafted across Merlin's black boots before he headed off toward the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea?" Kilgharrah asked dryly. "We've also got some lovely pastries."

"You'd poison them," Merlin retorted amused as he looked around. "Tea is fine."

He yelped as he hit his head on the chandelier and rubbed at it, ducking down and finally sitting down as he reached the kitchen. Kilgharrah puttered around, eyed the fireplace, before shrugging and blowing fire into the it.

Merlin watched bemused, elbows on the table. Kilgharrah hadn't changed at all.

"How is that ranger of yours?" Kilgharrah growled low. "Two sides of the same coin, aren't you?"

"Never should've let you hear that prophecy," Merlin said with an eye-roll.

"Yes well," said Kilgharrah as he looked around. "Oh! Tea!" He puttered over to the fireplace, grabbed the cloth and wrapped it around the teakettle's handle before using his tail to lift it out of the fireplace and toward the table.

"Are you still going through with it?" Merlin asked once he had his cup of tea.

"Yep," said Kilgharrah as he sat down and chomped on half a meat pie. "I have got to get away from everyone here. The only one with any sense is Lancelot now a days."

"Have you told him anything?" Merlin wondered as he took a sip of tea.

"No," said Kilgharrah as he put his tea cup down. "I'm sure he suspects something though. He hasn't missed my pouring over my maps."

"And where do you plan on going?" Merlin asked curiously.

"Rivendell, Misty Mountains, might even try for Moria," Kilgharrah said amused. "I'm getting old Merlin. I'm feeling stretched, like too much jam over too little bread-"

"Too little jam over too much bread?" Merlin pointed out and Kilgharrah growled at him.

"I need a holiday," Kilgharrah declared. "A long holiday. I don't plan on returning. In fact, I never mean too."

Merlin watched him through half lidded eyes. He hadn't missed how Kilgharrah kept that Sword he had found within eye-sight, as if afraid to let it leave his sight. He was afraid of what that might mean.

***

He stalked the creature for days, leaving no trace of his presence behind. He didn't know why Merlin had asked him to hunt this wretched creature Nimueh, but he'd make damn sure the wizard knew he was displeased.

Very displeased. He had planned on fucking said wizard unconscious for a week. Uther wouldn't have cared. He was intent on trying to get Alvarr to let Morgana come to Rivendell for a while, mainly to get Sophia to act with some sort of decorum. The Elf lady couldn't seem to get it through her head that he wanted nothing to do with her.

Shaking his head, Arthur Pendragon slid down the rock face silently, his Ranger training kicking in as he slipped behind a boulder and watched Nimueh make her way toward the Misty Mountains. Why that wretched creature wanted to go anywhere near there was confusing. The only things there were the remains of Moria, Isengard, and the Gap of Rohan.  
_  
Merlin, you will pay dearly for this_, Arthur grumbled as he slipped and landed in a mud puddle. Severely.

***

Gwen grabbed the blower, arms heaving and muscles straining as she pulled it down, sending air into the fire and making it hotter. Behind her, her father and a few other dwarfs stood, watching.  This was her test to prove herself. If she could pass this, she could take her place amongst the nobles of the Dwarfs and possibly be accepted to join the party to Moria.

The Mithril that was down there had to be priceless and she itched to work on it.

Seeing the tang of the blade turn cherry red, Gwen lifted it with a pair of tongs and shoved it into the well water. The water hissed as the blade rapidly cooled and once down, she pulled it out of the water to study it.

Still a few minor flaws. Nothing that another working in the fire wouldn't take care off.

Wiping at her forehead, Gwen shoved the blade back into the fire.

***

"Father please!" Morgana snapped as she glared at Aglain, her eyes firey with her temper. "This affects _all_ of Middle Earth if the wizard Merlin _and_ Uther of Imladris are correct! If you won't go, then I have to! They need at least _one_ representative of the Elven race there and you know Hunith and Balinor won't sent any from Lothlorien due to the possibility of orcs!"

"I will not see my only child dead in this," Aglain growled as he stood.

"With or without your permission Father, I will go to Imladris," Morgana said coldly, bow held tightly in her hands. She was already packed to go.

"Wait for word from the wizard," Aglain said finally. "If he or Uther send a summons, then I will allow you to go."

"Agreed," said Morgana before she turned sharply on her heel and made her way toward her quarters. Merlin had better get back to them and soon.

***

William of Gondor growled low as he packed his things, his brother Pellinore watching from the bed.

"Do you have to go?" Pellinore asked softly, voice quiet in case their father Tauren decided to stop by.

"I have to figure out that dream Pel," said William as he rolled up his bedroll. "It's a good two months journey to Rivendell and Lord Uther Half-Elven. " He pulled on the Horn of Gondor. "The sooner I get this done with Pell, the sooner I can come help you defend Osgiliath."

"Hurry home brother," said Pellinore holding out his arm and William clasped it at the elbow. "Stay safe."

"You stay safe," said William once they released arms. "Even Father can't deny that Mordor's armies are growing."

"Like he'd admit it?" Pellinore drawled amused. "That'd be admitting we're weak."

"True," said William. "Oh so very true."

***

Merlin and Kilgharrah sat outside on the front porch, watching the hobbits and hobbit-dragons put the finishing touches on the tent in the descending darkness.  Both were smoking pipe-weed, although Merlin had enchanted his to a very bright green for some reason.

"Old Toby, the finest pipe-weed in Southfarthing," Kilgharrah declared before blowing a smoke circle.  Merlin raised an eyebrow before he blew a perfect smoke replica of a ship with sails that glided straight through the circle before both disappeared. "Oh Merlin, this will be a night to remember!"

***

Fireworks exploded in the night sky, awed hobbits watching with bated breath. Others danced or ate and some entertained the children. All in all, there were 144 hobbits and hobbit-dragons infesting the field. Laughing and bickering, eating and drinking and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

At the entrance to the field, Kilgharrah was welcoming hobbits and hobbit-dragons into the field while at a table, Lancelot was watching as Gawain danced with Helen Cotton. Merlin was dancing around between hobbit children and the fireworks, lighting them with glee as sparks of blue magic erupted from the tip of his apple wood staff.

After a bit, Kilgharrah left his post at the entrance and headed over, distracting the children from Merlin.

"Story!" A hobbit girl declared as Kilgharrah sat down. "Pwease?" She widned her eyes and Kilgharrah winced. Even he was no immune to the puppy dog eyes.

Lancelot got up from his place at the table, ignoring Gawain happily dancing with Helen, and headed over to Kilgharrah, wondering what story he was telling the hobbit children.

"So there I was," Kilgharrah was saying as Lancelot approached. His tail was wrapped around the legs of the chair. "At the mercy of three monstrous trolls. Have you ever heard of a troll? Do you even know what a troll is? Great big nasty things that smelled and were at least twenty feet high.  Plus, they were arguing! On how to cook us even!"

Lancelot grinned as he leaned against a pole, nearly jumping when he felt an arm slip around his waist and looked over to see Gawain looking at him curiously, a question in his eyes.

"I'm fine Gawain, just a bit tired," Lancelot answered and Gawain nodded before he leaned against Lancelot.

"Whether it be turned on a spit or minced in a pie or whether they were going to sit on us one by one and squash us into jelly! But they spent so long arguing  the whether-to's and why-for's that the sun's first light crept over the top of the trees...and turned them all to stone!" Kilgharrah finished and the hobbit children gasped.

***  
At Merlin's firework cart, Kay and Owain were giggling to themselves as they tried to steathily make their way into the cart without attracting anyone's attention, especially Merlin's. He was _vindictive_ when someone messed with his things.

"No no, the big one!" Kay hissed after he had tossed Owain ontop of the fireworks. Owain had held up a small firework. "The big one Owain!"

Owain grabbed at a huge, red rocket shaped like the head and neck of a horse and Kay grinned wide as he caught it. Owain leapt out of the cart and followed Kay into the nearest tent. He bent over and lit the fuse before he straightened and grinned at Kay.

"You idiot!" Kay hissed as he tossed the rocket at Owain. "You're suppose to put it in the ground!"

"It is in the ground!" Owain replied before he tossed the rocket at Kay.

"Outside!" Kay growled and tossed it back to Owain, the fuse sizzling and getting smaller.

"It was your idea!" Owain yelped and tossed the rocket back to Kay.

It exploded and the two hobbits fell to their backs and the rocket took off into the sky. It burst apart and a huge golden red dragon erupted and roared, flame gushing from it's nose. Lancelot and Gawain, seeing the dragon, yelped and grabbed Kilgharrah.

"Kilgharrah! Watch out for the dragon!" Lancelot yelped as he pulled Kilgharrah to the ground.

"Dragon? What dragon?" Kilgharrah snarled, getting to his feet. "I'll teach it to invade my territory!"

The dragon flew over the huddled forms of the hobbits and the growling snarls and snaps of the hobbit-dragons before gliding over the lake and exploding. Fireworks erupted in the sky, covering most of the horizon. Everyone cheered.

Kay and Owain, covered in soot and their clothes half-melted off stood and grinned at each other.

"That was good," Kay grinned.

"Let's get another one!" Owain declared and moved to head over to the cart before yelping as he and Kay ran smack into an invisible wall.

"Kay Brandybuck and Owain Took, I should've know," Merlin said and the two hobbits turned to see a very annoyed wizard. They cowered. Rumors had it the last person who annoyed Merlin had been turned into a duck...and that person had been Merlin's lover.

***

Owain sighed as he dried yet another dish and placed it on a pile while behind him, Kay dumped another stack of dirty dishes into a tub of water. Picking up the pile, Owain headed over and placed the pile on a table with the other clean dishes, glaring at Merlin.

Merlin just grinned as he took a puff of his pipe-weed, the smoke a bright purple this time, and sipped at his mug of ale.

"Speech! Speech!"

Merlin turned as he heard the assembled hobbits cry and watched with a half-raised eyebrow as Kilgharrah stood on a tree stump. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the Sword in Kilgharrah's belt. In actuality it resembled a small dagger of all things...but Merlin could've sworn when he saw it earlier, it was a full sized sword.

"Speech!" Lancelot cried laughingly, leaning against Gawain.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Chubbs, Grubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, and Proudfoots," started Kilgharrah as he leaned back on his two hind legs.

"Proud_feet_!" Odo Proudfoot declared from his spot in a chair, feet on a tree stump.

"Proudfoot," Kilgharrah repeated to laughter. "Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday. I am eleventy one today!"

Cheers from all the hobbits. Lancelot looked back at Merlin and grinned.

"I don't know half of you as well as I should like and I like half of you half as well as you deserve," Kilgharrah continued. Scattered applause as many hobbits and hobbit-dragons tried to figure out if they had just been insulted...or complimented. Merlin looked at Lancelot with his own grin. As if Kilgharrah could go a day without insulting someone.

"I regret to announce that this is the end," started Kilgharrah as he fingered the hilt of his dagger. "I am leaving. Possibly for good. This is the end now, goodbye!"

He unsheathed the dagger and disappeared, at the same time a cloud of smoke erupted where he had been. An uproar from the hobbits and hobbit-dragons erupted.

***

"I suppose you think that was funny," Merlin drawled once Kilgharrah sheathed the dagger.

"Come on Merlin, did you see their faces?" Kilgharrah laughed. "They need to be shocked. Gotten a bit dull they have."

"There are many magic swords in this world Kilgharrah, and none of them should be used lightly," Merlin warned.

"Oh lighten up Merlin," Kilgharrah retorted. "But you're probably right...in this case," He added dryly.

"Oh quit blaming me for the vanilla pudding!" Merlin snapped.

"No," Kilgharrah drawled as he puttered around.

"Are you leaving the sword to Lancelot?" Merlin asked, not wanting to start the age-old argument _again._

"Yes, yes," said Kilgharrah distractedly. "It's over there by the mantle."

Merlin looked over and seeing only scattered books, looked back at Kilgharrah. "Kilgharrah."

"Oh wait...here it is," said Kilgharrah glancing down at the sword/dagger. "Isn't that odd...but, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it?"

"I think you should leave the Sword behind Kilgharrah. Is that so hard?" Merlin asked, concern rising in his eyes.

"No...and yes," said Kilgharrah as he looked down at the sword/dagger. "It's mine! I found it! It came to me...my precious." He stroked from the hilt down to the point of the blade.

"It's been called that before...but not by you," said Merlin slowly, taking a step forward.

"So? What manner of business is it of yours what I call my things?!" Kilgharrah growled. "You just want my sword!"

"Kilgharrah Baggins!" Merlin snarled, rising to his full height. His eyes flashed and shadows grew in the room. "Do not take me for a conjurer of cheap tricks! I have no need of your sword nor do I have any need to deceive you!"  Kilgharrah cowered and Merlin softened. "I want to help you Kilgharrah."

"Yes, you're right," said Kilgharrah before he reached out and grabbed his pack before heading toward the door. "Time to get going. The road is long, yes?"

"Kilgharrah," said Merlin. "The Sword?"

"Ah, yes," said Kilgharrah as he glanced down at his hand. Slowly, as if it was taking all of his will, he relaxed his grip until the sword/dagger slid out of his hand and landed in the floor, point first. He turned quickly and headed outside, breathing in the fresh air, Merlin as his back. "You know, I think I figured out an ending for that book I want to write."

"Oh?" Merlin asked as he closed the door part-way, blocking temptation.

_"And he lived happily ever after, till the end of his days,_" Kilgharrah said.

"I'm sure you will," said Merlin. "Goodbye dear friend."

"Goodbye Merlin. Watch over Lancelot for me, will you?" Kilgharrah asked.

"As much as I can," Merlin promised. Kilgharrah nodded and walked off, humming under his breath.


End file.
